"The groom has returned!"
At the entrance of the Marriott Hotel, a loud shout rang out.
Immediately, the emcee's voice came from inside.
"Dear friends and relatives, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the bride and groom!"
*Clap, clap, clap!*
A loud applause immediately erupted.
However, when the doors opened and Su Ming and his entourage entered, the applause abruptly stopped.
Everyone looked at them with puzzled expressions.
"Where's the bride?"
"Uh!"
The emcee stood on stage, momentarily at a loss. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he didn't know how to react.
But at that moment, Su Ming stepped onto the stage and took the microphone.
"Uncles and aunts, I sincerely apologize. There have been some unforeseen circumstances, and the wedding cannot take place today."
"What?"
"Su Ming, are you serious?"
"Su Ming, what happened? We'll help you figure it out. Marriage is a big deal; you can't just cancel it like this!"
The relatives and friends of the Su family were immediately worried.
"Son, what's going on?"
At this point, Su Ming's parents, Zhang Sumei and Su Changhe, also rushed over from their seats, looking very concerned.
"Dad, Mom, it's a bit complicated. Let's talk about it later."
"But all the relatives are here!"
*Ding! Choice triggered!*
"Option 1: Pay for the banquet and continue with the food and drinks. Reward: 100 times the total expenses refunded."
"Option 2: Cancel everything and have everyone leave. Reward: Title 'Villain.'"
"System, I choose option 1!"
Su Ming ignored the second option. Even without the system, he wouldn't consider such an approach. Having a choice made it easier.
"Choice successful. The reward will be calculated upon checkout!"
As the system prompt ended, Su Ming gave Zhang Sumei a reassuring look, then took the microphone and said, "Uncles and aunts, I'm truly sorry. There have been some unforeseen circumstances, and the wedding cannot take place today. But I, Su Ming, won't let everyone come here for nothing. Please enjoy the food and drinks as my treat!"
"This... Su Ming, that's not right. How can we eat for free?"
"Yes, Su Ming, we don't know why you suddenly decided not to get married, but we can guess it must be because of some trouble from the bride's side. Your family has already gone through a lot. We should skip the meal."
"Right, right, let's pack up and go home."
To be fair, the Su family's relatives were genuinely concerned for them.
"Everyone, your concern is appreciated, but I insist. Enjoy the food and drinks today. Don't worry about the expenses."
"Right, right, right! Just enjoy yourselves. Brother Ming doesn't lack money!"
Gao Xiang, who was standing by, also helped to persuade them.
"Xiang, stop. We're all farmers. Don't stir things up."
"You little rascal, are you trying to harm Su Ming? I'll beat you senseless, believe me or not?"
Gao Xiang's father came up, glaring fiercely.
"Dad, can you give me some face? Brother Ming really has a lot of money!"
Gao Xiang, who was over six feet tall, cowered under his father's gaze, recalling the fear of being whipped with a belt.
"Alright, uncles, aunts, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. But the food and drinks have already been ordered. If you leave, the hotel will still serve them, and it would be a waste. That would be a real pity!"
Su Ming continued speaking into the microphone.
At the mention of "waste," the relatives' faces changed.
"Oh, right! It's already booked. The hotel doesn't care if you stay or leave."
"Fine, fine, let's stay. We'll give the red envelopes later, so Su Ming's family doesn't lose out."
"Right, right, good idea!"
Finally, the relatives settled down. However, hearing their words, Su Ming could only smile wryly.
Of course, he had no intention of accepting any red envelopes.
"Son, now tell us, what happened?"
Seeing the situation calm down, Su Changhe and Zhang Sumei couldn't help but ask again.
"Dad, Mom, let Uncle Er explain."
Su Ming passed the responsibility to Su Changgui.
"Big brother, sister-in-law, I'll explain." Su Changgui didn't hold back and recounted everything that had happened.
"What? Son of a bitch! How can there be such shameless people in the world?"
Gao Xiang's father, known for his short temper, was fuming after hearing the story.
"Haha... begging on his knees and getting kicked by Su Ming. That's satisfying, really satisfying!"
"But, Su Ming, where did you get so much money? Three million in cash and a sports car worth another three million?"
Gao Xiang's father looked at Su Ming in shock.
"Su Ming, you better not do anything foolish!"
Su Changhe and Zhang Sumei were full of worry.
"Mom, Dad, don't worry. My money comes from legitimate sources. You don't need to worry about me."
Su Ming had already checked with the system. Every transaction was clear and wouldn't cause any trouble. Of course, he hadn't figured out how to explain it to his parents yet. Lying would only lead to more lies.
"Well... never mind. You've always had your own ideas. As long as it's earned honestly, that's fine."
Su Changhe said.
Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief. His parents were satisfied for now.
Afterward, the relatives started eating and drinking, and it wasn't until evening that they began to leave.
When they tried to give the red envelopes, they couldn't find anyone to accept them. In the end, Su Changgui and Gao Xiang's father even chased them out.
"Xiang, let's go pay the bill."
After the guests left, Su Ming and Gao Xiang went to the car to get the money and paid the bill at the hotel.
"Mr. Su, your total for the banquet is 38,060 yuan. We'll round it down to 38,000 yuan."
"Okay."
Su Ming pulled out two thousand yuan from the stack and placed the rest on the counter.
*Ding!*
"Option 1 completed. Total expense 38,000 yuan. Reward: 100 times the amount, 3,800,000 yuan, deposited into your bank account."
*Ding dong!*
As the system prompt ended, Su Ming's phone received a notification.
Three million yuan had been credited. Su Ming controlled his emotions well, showing no significant reaction.
After everything was settled, Su Ming called a car and sent his parents, Gao Xiang's father, and Uncle Er back home.
Su Ming's parents and others lived in a nearby rural area, not in the city, and worked on the farm.
Before leaving, Su Ming transferred five hundred thousand yuan to his parents. He had wanted to transfer more, but the elders refused, so he had to give up.